Chapter 27

Elder Varyon scoffed. "bold phrases from a person who has no place on this council."

Sophia's chest constricted, but before she could respond, Tharros moved forward. His appearance immediately quiet the whispers.

"She has each area right here," he said, his voice steely. "Sophia battled for Aquaria when others failed. "If we all question her loyalty, they will question mine."

The weight of his words settled heavily in the room.

As the council dispersed, Sophia waited within the chamber, her mind racing. She felt a presence behind her and grew into the peer Kael.

"They'll come around," he said, nonchalantly leaning against the table. "They're just terrified. Worry causes individuals to say dumb things.

Sophia offered a small smile. "You sound such as you've treated it before."

"more times than I'd like to admit."

Tharros approached with a softer expression. "Do not allow them get to you. "They'll see reality in time."

"but will it be too late?" Sophia asked quietly.

Sophia sat in her chamber that night, unable to shake the unease that was creeping up on her. The Leviathan's words echoed in her head, each phrase a reminder of the impending struggle.

A knock on the door jolted her from her reverie. It was Arin, and her normal self-confidence had transformed with unusual hesitancy.

"There's something you ought to see," the sea witch murmured, motioning Sophia to look.

Arin brought her to the observatory, a wide, open space with windows that overlooked the vast ocean. The area was poorly lit, with the illumination of the ocean outside casting shadows across the dividers.

Arin waved her hand, and an image appeared in the middle of the room. It became an imagined and forerunner of one of the outer kingdoms, with its coral constructions blackened and rendered obsolete. Shadows moved through the streets, their shapes distorted and strange.

"This is what we're up against," Arin remarked quietly. "The Leviathan's corruption does more than just break; it consumes. "The longer we wait, the stronger it becomes.

Sophia felt her stomach twist as she glanced at the sight. "What are we able to do?"

Arin became to her, her gaze piercing. "We engage in combat. However, we must be smarter than it. The Leviathan is more than just a beast; it is a strategist. It is examining us and looking for flaws."

Sophia nodded, her dedication strengthening her determination. "Then we are able to't let it discover any."

As daylight broke, the castle was buzzing with activity. Scouts prepped for their upcoming missions, while warriors honed their weapons. Sophia joined Kael on the schooling grounds, pushing herself harder than ever.

"You're more powerful than you realize," Kael remarked as she held her breath.

"I must be," she answered. "For Aquaria."

The day concluded with another council assembly, this time to finalize their method. Plans had been laid out, alliances were discussed, and decisions had been taken. However, because the meeting had ended, Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that they were still one step behind.

That night, when she looked out over the sea, the Leviathan's voice resonated all over again.

Sophia, you are playing my reenactment. You're already plummeting.

She clinched her hands, her solution unshakable. "no longer this time."

But deep inside, she wondered if she really had the energy to win.

Shadows in the Deep

Sophia's nights had become a battlefield. Dreams, dazzling and inescapable, drew her into corrupted aquatic cities dominated by twisted and lifeless coral towers. Shadowy creatures with holey, glittering eyes groped for her, their whispers a chorus of sadness. She awoke every morning drenched in perspiration, her heart racing as if she had been walking for her life. On each occasion, she discovered Arin standing by her bedside, her look a mix of terror and clarity.

"It's the Leviathan," Arin explained after another sleepless night. Her voice became quiet but firm. "Its reach goes deeper than we expected. "These are echoes of its corruption."

Sophia's fists clutched the blankets. "Then it's inside my head?"

Arin's eyes narrowed. "Not but." However, if you don't tackle it, your dreams will swallow you.

Sophia looked through the darkening window, the vast ocean pressing against the glass. "How?" she whispered. "How do I face some thing so sizeable?"

"via remembering you're now not alone."

Even while Sophia fought with her nightmares, Kael's challenge pushed him to the limits of Aquaria's power. The outer kingdoms, once known for their bioluminescent beauty, were now unrecognizable. Kael led his crew cautiously, each movement barely audible in the darkness. The coral cities they left behind were husks of their former selves, with their vibrant colors fading and replaced by an oppressive blackness that clung to the ocean like tar.

"It's worse than we thought," Kael said, his voice barely audible. His second-in-command, Lira, nodded grimly.

The group's bioluminescent lamps cast spooky shadows as they moved forward. Kael's acute eyes caught movement in the distance-a flare of something odd. He raised his hand, signaling the group to cease. The water felt heavier just here, and each breath became an effort.

"Live alert," Kael instructed. "We're not on my own."

Unexpectedly, a shadow dashed at them. It moved with unusual speed, its shape twisting and altering. Kael hardly had time to draw his weapon before the beast approached them. Its entire eyes focused on him, and a guttural scream echoed through the sea.

"protective formation!" Kael shouted. The squad reacted immediately, forming a circle as the beast lashed out.

The struggle was chaotic. The creature's movements defied logic, as each attack seemed to drain the brightness from its surroundings. Kael's blade struck its target, cutting through the shadowy figure, but the beast vanished into the darkness before regenerating moments later.

"we are able to't fight this aspect like ordinary!" Lira shouted.

Kael gritted his enamel. "Fall has returned! "Regroup at the rendezvous factor!"

They moved together, retreating into the stifling blackness. The beast chased them, its screams reverberating in their ears. Kael's heart hammered as he guided his troops through the maze of useless coral and shadows. Sooner or later, a flash of bioluminescent light indicated their escape. The thing recoiled and disappeared into the darkness.

Kael paused to gather his breath, his palms quivering. "We must warn Aquaria," he added, his tone harsh. "This corruption is spreading quicker than we notion."

Sophia returned to Aquaria and joined Tharros in the struggle chamber. The dragon king's attitude was as stoic as usual, but Sophia could see the stress in his eyes.

"Kael's file confirms our fears," Tharros stated, pointing to the holographic map of the distant kingdoms. "The Leviathan's corruption is moving faster than we expected."

Sophia's gaze lingered on the black portions of the map. "We need to act."

"And we are capable," Tharros responded. "However, we will not do this recklessly." The Leviathan is playing a long game, and we're already behind it."

Arin entered the room with a sad expression. "The goals are a caution," she remarked. "They are no longer just visions of Leviathan's depravity. "They're showing us what will happen if we fail.

Sophia's stomach twisted. "Then we will't manage to pay for to fail."

Tharros rested a hand on her shoulder, his touch anchoring. "We won't, but we do want to be clever. Kael's scouting has provided us with valuable statistics. Now is the time to put it into action."

Kael's return was received with a mix of relief and dread. His report left little doubt: the Leviathan's effect was spreading, and time was running out. As the council met, tensions rose dramatically.

"We're facing annihilation," Elder Varyon said, his voice harsh. "And yet, we are still debating? That is craziness."

"Going into battle without a plan is insane," Tharros answered, his voice steady but firm. "We want unity, now not panic."

Sophia's voice pierced through the worry. "The Leviathan feeds on our anxieties. "If we let it divide us, we've already lost."

The room went silent. All eyes were on her.

"We want a plan," she said. "One that makes use of our strengths." Arin, you have researched the Leviathan's magic. "Is there any way to weaken it?"

Arin nodded slowly. "Its corruption thrives on inequality. If we can undermine its effect, even temporarily, it will provide us the opportunity we seek."

Sophia changed to Kael. "What about the outer kingdoms?" "Can we rally any allies?"

Kael's jaws constricted. "It's not clean. The majority of them are already fed up with corruption. But there are survivors. If we succeed, they may become a part of us."

Tharros' gaze moved across the room. "Then that is our mission." We disrupt the Leviathan's magic, gather what allies we can, and take the fight to it."

The council mumbled their agreement, but terror lingered in their eyes.

As the arrangements began, Sophia found herself on a balcony facing the sea. The Leviathan's voice lingered in her consciousness, its insults serving as a constant reminder of the previous conflict.

You are nothing, Sophia. Only a frail human attempting to play hero.

She clinched her fists, her translucent skin hardening. "I am greater than you think you studied. I'll show it."

Tharros' voice pierced through the silence behind her. "You don't must do that alone."

She turned to face him, her gaze finding his. "I realize. "But that doesn't make it any less terrifying."

Tharros moved closer, his presence solidifying. "Courage is not the absence of fear, Sophia." It's confronting it head on.

She nodded, letting the weight of his words sink in. They stood in silence, watching at the waves as the sun fell below the horizon.

The primary blow came without warning. As Aquaria's soldiers began to work, a wave of shadows came upon them. The Leviathan's creatures swarmed, sending screams through the ocean.

Sophia stood at the forefront, her power bursting into life as she faced the approaching mob. Tharros, beside her, transformed into a dragon, lighting up the battlefield. Kael and Arin joined the fray, their combined energy illuminating the darkness.

But the Leviathan geared up. Its presence loomed, a murky bulk that appeared to consume the mild itself. Sophia felt a shiver down her spine as its voice boomed across the battlefield.

You cannot win. This planet is mine.

She gritted her teeth, her determination unwavering. "no longer today."

The conflict continued, with Aquaria's fate hanging by a thread. As the shadows closed in, Sophia realized the main struggle had only just begun.

Political Tensions Rise

The war's aftermath transformed into a delicate stillness. The shadows retreated, but the devastation remained. Aquaria's forces had barely survived, and the cost was high. Sophia sat by herself on the council chamber stairs, her head resting in her hands. Her body ached from the effort of combat, but the weight in her chest became heavier.

Tharros found her there, his dragon shape having seen that shed for a long time, yet his presence still carried commanding force.

"You fought properly," he remarked, his voice low and steady.

Sophia looked up, her expression unreadable. "Did I? Or did I simply give them another reason to detest me?

Tharros crouched ahead of her, his golden gaze locked upon hers. "They are concerned about what they do not recognize. But anxiety can be transformed into power. You've proven your loyalty. "Now you want to show them your heart."

Sophia pushed her lips into a thin line. "if they'll pay attention."

The council room was alive with activity the next day. Whispers resonated off coral partitions, with each faction on a facet. Elder Varyon's strong tone cut through the whispers as he stood in the middle of the room.

"This outsider has brought nothing but chaos," he said, his voice resonating with authority. "The Leviathan is aware of our weakness because of her. "And now our outer kingdoms are falling like dominoes!"

Sophia tightened her jaw as she stood at the chamber's threshold. Kael's hand rested on her shoulder, a quiet gesture of assistance. Tharros, seated at the apex of the council, let Varyon's allegations hang in the air before speaking.

"Sophia saved lives," Tharros stated, his tone chilly but controlled. "with out her, many of our warriors might now not have returned."

"And yet the Leviathan grows stronger," Varyon responded. "Her presence brings instability to our realm."

Sophia's heart was pounding, but before she could speak, another voice rose. It became Lira, Kael's second in command.

"Instability existed here long before she arrived," Lira said, stepping forward. "The Leviathan's corruption did not begin with Sophia." "To blame her is a coward's excuse."

The chamber exploded in dispute. Voices clashed, accusations flew, and coherence seemed further away than ever.

Later that night, Tharros convened an emergency assembly on the main plaza. The distance, illuminated by bioluminescent spheres, is filled with Aquaria's inhabitants. Warriors, students, and merchants all gathered, their faces filled with concern and exhaustion.

Sophia stood next to Tharros on the raised platform. Her palms trembled, but she willed herself to be cool. This became her challenge to prove herself.

Tharros advanced first. His voice, loud and deep, piqued the group's curiosity.

"Aquaria stands at a crossroads," he said. "The Leviathan's shadow grows, and we face a choice between unity and destruction. But we can't fight this struggle split."

He maintained a continuous stare on Sophia. "Sophia Rodriguez battled beside us. She bled for Aquaria. "And now she can speak."

Sophia walked forward, and the muttering became louder. She took a long breath, her voice steady despite the weight of their attention.

"I realise I'm an intruder," she began. "I recognize many of you do not trust me. I don't blame you. I arrived here by accident, and my presence has resulted in difficult conditions I never could have envisioned."

She paused to study the gathering. Some of the faces were suspicious, while others were curious. She pushed on.

"However, I have seen what the Leviathan can do. I've witnessed the darkness it creates and the lives it kills. and that I've chosen to fight against it. I do it now because I care about Aquaria, not because I'm compelled to. Approximately its human inhabitants."

Her voice became more powerful, and her emotions poured into her words.

"I have fought alongside your warriors. I've witnessed their bravery and sacrifice. and that I've grown to like this location. Aquaria is more than a kingdom to me. "It has become my domestic."

A silence swept over the crowd. Sophia's comments hung in the air, honest and sincere.

"I don't ask on your accept as true with," she said softly. "I appeal for your togetherness. The Leviathan doesn't care who we are or where we're from. It wants to destroy everything. And the only way we can stop it is together."

There was a brief moment of stillness. Then, a lone voice was referred to as "out of the group."

"She's right."

It was a younger mermaid, her expression sincere. Others began to murmur about their settlement. The tide of opinion altered slowly, but not totally. Elder Varyon's scowl remained focused at the back, and a small handful of his supporters appeared as unconvinced.

Tharros moved forward again, his presence imposing.